Five road trip worthy whale watching spots around Australia
Road trip adventurers will have a whale of a time exploring the great outdoors.There’s something awe-inspiring seeing a beast bigger than a school bus gliding through open waters, or even breaching the waves to crash down again with a splash. Australia’s coastal waters are home to thousands of whales or rather, temporary highways as different species migrate to warm waters from the Antarctic to breed. They aren’t difficult to spot, usually between May and November, so there's never been a better time to hop in the car and head out to a great whale watching location. Here are five of our favourite whale-watching locations around the country.
Dunsborough, Western Australia
It’s one thing to see the mighty leviathans from shore, but sharing their actual environment takes whale watching to a whole new level. Jet Adventures takes passengers on the full marine tour from Dunsborough down near Margaret River, about three hours south of Perth. The open-air jet boat transports 12 passengers in speedy style into ocean waters to find humpbacks and even blue whales, or explore the rocky coves for seals and dolphins.
Logans Beach, Warrnambool, Victoria
Warrnambool on the far western end of the Great Ocean Road is a natural stopping point for visitors, and not just of the human variety. Southern Right Whales come to Logans Beach every year to calve and incredibly, you can watch them frolicking just beyond the breakers, sometimes only 100 metres offshore. There’s a special viewing platform above the sand dunes to see the proud new mums and their babies, who come to Warrnambool for the relatively warm waters (they are from Antarctica, after all) and seeing them so close to shore is an unforgettable experience.
Victor Harbor, South Australia
Southern Right Whales hug the South Australian coastline during their annual migration and there are a number of places to see them, from the remote Head of Bight on the Nullarbor to the more accessible Fleurieu Peninsula only an hour out of Adelaide. Victor Harbor is home to the SA Whale Centre with plenty of info on the best local viewing points including The Bluff or Encounter Bay where you might see whales ploughing past or breaching. Or try a Big Duck boat tour for a close up encounter.
Hervey Bay, Queensland
Pretty much Queensland’s entire coastline is open for whale watching as some 30,000 humpbacks travel from Antarctica to the tropics and back every year. Hervey Bay has to be the prime location though, given the humpies stop in the warm waters sheltered by Fraser Island for a well-earned break, congregating for a bit of socializing and playtime. You can see them from shore but to really get among the action there are boat trips with expert commentary for the best whale-watching experience in Queensland.
Jervis Bay, NSW
We’ve picked Jervis Bay as an excellent whale watching location but really, the whole of NSW’s South Coast is perfect given thousands of humpbacks stick close to shore on their annual migration. Eden, for instance, was once a whaling town and now has an actual Whale Festival. Back in Jervis Bay, you can see them from vantage points including the Point Perpendicular Lighthouse and lookout as they enter the bay for a rest to break their long 5000km journey.
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